


When You Least Expect It

by Hfiorella18



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Gen, Little snippets after each episode!, Spoilers!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-07 13:40:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 6,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21458956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hfiorella18/pseuds/Hfiorella18
Summary: Shorts after each episode following the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda. Spoilers for Season 1 & 2.
Relationships: Din Djarin & Baby Yoda, Din Djarin & The Asset, Mandalorian & Baby Yoda, Mandalorian & The Asset
Comments: 78
Kudos: 494





	1. Not So Bad

He’s a Mandalorian. He has been a bounty hunter for years. He’s the best in the parsec and has never had any trouble. He’s seen it all. Or so he thought. Somehow, this job was a whole bunch of firsts for him. First time needing someone’s help. First time teaming up with a droid (and hopefully the last). First time hunting a fifty-year old child. And certainly the first time the hunted child saved his life by slowing down a Mudhorn using its hand. No wonder the asset was worth so much. Checking that the child was still alive, he turned his attention to the controls of his newly restored ship.

If he was going to be honest with himself, he was beat up pretty bad. Certain that he had at least a few cracked, if not broken ribs from his encounter with the Mudhorn, he definitely had a concussion and a limp. Not to mention that the gash in his arm from earlier was still smarting. Setting the course to turn in the asset, he swiveled in his seat, only slightly surprised to see that the child was sitting up and awake. 

“You’re almost more trouble than you’re worth.”  
The mask only slightly modulates his voice. “But I guess I should thank you. For the Mudhorn.” 

He turned back around feeling beyond stupid. He’s talking to a child that doesn’t speak and probably can’t understand him. The child is an asset, and is the reason he was in that mess in the first place. He tried to relax and leaned back in his seat, tipping his head back towards the ceiling. Not that you could tell, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, wheezing upon exhaling. He held his bad arm close to his chest, as if he were trying to prevent further injury. The asset was relatively quiet, cooing every so often, and rustling about. Not ten minutes later the asset was completely silent, until the child ended up in his lap. 

Obviously uncomfortable, the Mandalorian bristled and sat up quickly, ready to put the asset back in the bassinet. Before he could move, he stopped, looking down at his lap. The child had the same look on its face as it did before, with its hand outstretched. Following the assets tiny arm with his eyes, he realized that it was reaching towards his bad arm, just like it did the first time it escaped the bassinet. Choosing not to interrupt this time, the Mandalorian watched in awe as the ripped skin on his arm slowly started to mend together, with only slight shocks of pain. After his arm was totally healed, it only being a little sore, the child let out a big yawn and curled up in his lap. He didn’t move it. He supposed it was the fact that he was exhausted and his head was pounding and it hurt to breathe. Or maybe it was because the asset did save his life once already, and healed one of his superficial wounds. 

“Maybe you’re not so bad after all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Thanks for reading! Obviously the Mandalorian fanfic section is pretty small so I’m super happy to contribute to such an awesome fandom. Disney+ has been a godsend. Anyway, I was considering making this a one-shot, but with new episodes coming out on Fridays, I’m most likely going to make this multi-chapter, but we’ll see! Please let me know what you think! I welcome any and all criticism.
> 
> ~ Hannah


	2. Bad Idea

He knew keeping the child was a mistake. However, he made his choice when he decided to make it his mission to get the kid back. Unknown to him, he had made his decision when the child had wailed when the imperials took him. He ignored it then. He needed the beskar, for himself and for the covert. When he went to Greef Karga for a new job, and was prepared to leave the planet he had fully intended to get as far away as possible to forget the child. He couldn’t. 

So here he was. Several murders later, whisking the child far, far away. He didn’t know where he was going, but he knew they’d be on the run for a long time. What bounty hunters had attacked him back there, were only a small portion of the tracking fob holders. He made his decision alright. Maybe it’s because the child reminded him of himself. Being abandoned, then found by a hunk of metal. Granted, he wasn’t a droid, but he might as well have been. 

So this is how he found himself, giving the child the same knob that it had tried to play with/eat before. It cooed happily and climbed into his lap again, admiring the flashing lights on the console of his ship. Deep in thought, he let go of the controls, letting autopilot take over. With one hand, not realizing what he was doing, he reached towards the child, sitting upright in his lap. The child was very preoccupied with the shiny ball that it had been playing with. Startled, the kid shivered, but then giggled as his fingers began absentmindedly drawing little patterns on the child’s back. After a moment the child stopped giggling, and cooed contently, resuming its previous activity of trying to put the knob in its mouth. The Mandalorian sighed, half amused. 

“Careful with that.”

Returning to his thoughts, he had to make a plan. He had been doing way too much improvising lately. He was satisfied with the success of rescuing the child, but the Mandalorian had neglected to figure out what to do with it if he was successful. So, he needed to make a plan. The first place to start was by going over what he knew. 

\- The species of this child is relatively unknown  
\- There are a LOT of people after the kid  
\- It’s a fifty year old infant, so it ages extremely slowly  
\- It ate a frog at Kuiil’s  
\- It stopped a full grown Mudhorn on its own  
\- It was a he, according to the doctor  
\- It- no, he didn’t have a name

Not much to go off of, but it was a start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided I’m going to try to do a little snippet after each episode, and as a bonus, one after the season finale to make up for combining chapter 1 & 2. So this doc should be about 7 chapters long. Also, I’m working on a longer more original Mandalorian fanfic, so that should be up relatively soon, so keep an eye out! Happy reading and let me know what you think!!
> 
> ~ Hannah


	3. Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 4 spoilers

That was close. Too close. He was so caught up in the... the peace. Peace that he had never known. It almost cost him. He had almost allowed his helmet to come off, and for what? Some false sense of security? He had priorities- no, obligations. He would not stray from the Way. When he saved the child, the child’s safety became his responsibility. To dump the child somewhere was the easy way out. So distracted, he didn’t even think about the thousands of bounty hunters that were after the both of them. Thankfully he came back to his senses, stopping his helmet from moving any higher. At that very moment, they heard a blaster go off. Startled, he took off to find Cara Dune. He found her with a bounty hunter, a smoking hole in it’s back. 

“He’s after the kid,” Cara said. 

He nodded, well aware that if she wasn’t there, both himself and the kid would probably be dead. He spotted the tracking fob and crushed it beneath his boot. He knew they had to move, and quickly. 

“We can’t stay here.”

Heading back to the village, he scooped up the child, and went to go pack their things. The safest place for the child was with him, he realized. And the two of them weren’t safe anywhere. This realization didn’t bother him as much as it should have. He’s always been on the move, only frequenting a few select places, both of which weren’t a safe possibility anymore. They had to move, now.

Once he was back on his ship, they took off, bringing the danger far away from Sorgan. He turned to look at the kid, who was seated contently, watching the stars go by. It was hard not to beat himself up about this. Had he been paying attention, the bounty hunter wouldn’t have even been able to touch the trigger. If he was smarter, he would’ve known that they can’t stay anywhere too long. He had one of the highest bounty’s in his possession at all times. 

“We have a lot of things we need to figure out kid.” 

They weren’t going to be able to settle down anywhere for more than a few days. Eventually, their streak of good luck was going to end. For now, they were just on borrowed time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally finished watching episode 4 like an hour ago and can I just say I am SO glad that the helmet never came off, I was literally screaming at the TV “put that back where it came from or so help me!!” I just love that he’s a Lone Ranger for now. See you guys next week !!
> 
> ~ Hannah


	4. Ad’ika

Luck, was apparently still on their side. After the days events, the Mandalorian was kicking himself. The kid could not, under any circumstances leave his sight again. Of course, the kid wasn’t to blame for this. He had been wildly irresponsible yet again. Back on his ship, looking for the next safe spot to stop he picked up the child, who was still a little shaky from all the action. 

“Alright, let’s not do that again.” 

The child babbled in agreement and cuddled closer to the Mandalorian, who sighed in amusement. Suddenly, he had an idea. There was no way that he would be able to keep the kid safe forever. He would certainly die trying, but there had to be something else he could do to prevent the kid from getting hurt. 

He rummaged through his ship to find something, anything that would make his job a little easier. What he needs is a baby carrier or armor made of Beskar to suit a child that small, but he’s nearly a hundred percent sure that that doesn’t exist. 

He could try to make one maybe. Or he could settle for a regular baby sling and strap it to his chest until further notice. Nothing about this sounded pleasant but he had to do what he had to do. Going through the supplies that he was given on Sorgan, he found an old baby sling was in there. Omera must have given him Winta’s old one. Grateful and relieved, he pulled it out and tried to figure out how this was supposed to work. The kid was sure to be content being so close to his only companion, but the child was just that. A child. He had no doubt that the kid (he really needed to give him a name at some point,) would get fussy. It was decided that the kid would be free to roam on the ship, but anytime they left it, he would be secured. 

First, they had to test it out. The Mandalorian wasn’t too thrilled about this but the kid didn’t throw as much of a tantrum as was expected. After a few failed attempts at getting the sling on him, he finally managed to get it on the right way, as far as he could tell. He picked up the child and placed it in the sling. The kid fussed a bit, squirming and making discontented noises. 

“Shh Ad’ika, shh. Everything is fine.”

‘Ad’ika,’ the Mandalorian thought to himself. That would do for a name, until something better came to him.  
He patted the kids head a few times and it settled down. Returning to the pilots chair, he left the sling on, only because the child was now cooing happily, attached to his favorite person. The little one grabbed for the Mandalorian’s hand and played with his forefinger. Sighing, he didn’t interfere as the child began to gnaw on the leather glove. Anything to keep the Ad’ika happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Mr. Mandalorian,  
STOP LETTING THE CHILD OUT OF YOUR SIGHT. I can not handle these heart attacks. 
> 
> P.S. I would still hit 
> 
> ~ Hannah


	5. Attached

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 6 spoilers

“I told you that was a bad idea.”

The kid didn’t care. He just happily played with the silver ball. The Mandalorian sighed, a favorite pastime. He only went to them, and begrudgingly took the prison break job because they needed the credits. Being on the run all the time wasn’t easy. Supplies were dwindling, money was becoming a bigger and bigger issue. Not enough small jobs in the world could sustain both himself and the Ad’ika for the rest of their lives. Patience was running thin too. The Mandalorian was not equipped for being on the run 24/7. He wasn’t equipped to handle a kid. And he definitely wasn’t equipped to handle both at the same time. He was doing his best though. The kid was tired of being cooped up on the ship, and he especially wasn’t a fan of the little compartment in the wall that the shiny man always stuffed him in. 

The Mandalorian hid the kid with good reason this time. He wasn’t exactly planning on having the Razor Crest be the transportation for the newest adventure. Regardless, he had to teach the kid some self-defense lessons or something. If the Ad’ika was even old enough to learn those sorts of things. He spoke to the child again.

“Maybe soon we’ll get a bigger job, and we can lay low for a while.” 

Maybe the bounty would die down. Or maybe the covert would find a safe space to relocate and they would send him the coordinates. He doubted it. They were on their own. Or maybe these past few months have been a fever dream, and he’ll wake up like normal, without half the galaxy wanting his head. 

He sighed again. It wouldn’t be worth it though. He’s found that even though his parenting skills are atrocious, he’s gotten perhaps just a little bit attached to the green baby. And he’s one hundred percent certain that his Ad’ika is one hundred percent attached to him. Probably because he’s the only person the child has been in consistent contact with, but still. Attached is attached. 

So, the Mandalorian would keep taking these stupid jobs, and risk leaving the kid on the ship until it was safe enough for them to slow down. For now though, they would just float about in space until he’s used most of the credits he’s just earned. After that well, who knows? On to the next adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Mandalorian is such a DADDY ugh, when he fought those robots... 🥵 and now we only have to wait til Wednesday for the next episode because TROS is out next week HALLELUJAH. Can you believe there’s only TWO episodes left???
> 
> ~ Hannah


	6. Outnumbered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED EPISODE 7

Well. They had really done it this time. A bad situation turned worse when dozens and dozens of stormtroopers pinned them down. The Mandalorian looked to Cara and Greef. There was no way out for them. But there was still hope for the baby. Kuiil had the kid and they were on the way to the ship. The Mandalorian had protected the kid until he couldn’t anymore. 

It happened so fast. One minute he was ready to shoot the client, and the next minute dozens of blaster shots rang out, not one of them coming from him, Cara Dune or Greef Karga. Peering outside, they were hopelessly outnumbered. There was still a slight chance however, that not all of this would be for nothing.

“Kuiil, come in.” 

No answer. He looked over at Cara, and if he didn’t have his helmet on, he was sure she would see nothing but pure fear in his eyes. 

“Kuiil do you copy!? Are you at the ship!?” 

What was silence before turned to static. The comm link must have been damaged. The new Imperial Lord that arrived had a sense of importance to his voice.

“You have no idea how much what you possess means to me.”

Cara Dune whispered to Greef. 

“Who is this guy?” 

Nobody knew. He continued to talk to them. 

The Mandalorian began to panic. “Kuiil, we’re pinned down. What’s your status?” 

Silence. 

At this point the Mandalorian assumed the worse. Kuiil was either incapacitated, or dead. As much as he hoped it was neither (or the former) it was probably the latter. He cursed. 

“What is it?” Cara asked. 

“They got Kuiil.” At the same time, the Imp spoke.

“In a few moments, it will be mine.” 

Stormtroopers had secured the asset, and they were on their way back. Bile rose in the back of the Mandalorian’s throat. He had failed miserably. He never should have agreed to come here. He never should have enlisted the help of people that weren’t involved in his mess. It costs one of his... friends their life. One thing was for sure. He wasn’t going down, or letting his Ad’ika go down without a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’all. I am so sorry for how short this one is in comparison but I am DEVASTATED. My heart was in my throat this entire episode and for good reason. They better rectify this in the season finale or I am going to lose it


	7. Clan of Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for episode 8
> 
> A very short part of this happens during the episode and not just after like I normally do, because reasons.

They were so close. That IG unit had given them a fighting chance. Then the explosion sent him flying backwards. The Mandalorian must have blacked out, because next thing he knew, Cara was hovering over him back inside. His head was slick with blood and his leg screamed in pain. 

“I’m not going to make it. Go.” 

Cara protested, but ultimately he won. She ran off with Greef Karga and the baby. Left just with the IG unit, Din Djarin was ready to die, knowing his Ad’ika was in safe hands.

————————————————————

“You’re staying here?” he was in disbelief. 

“Of course!” Greef chided. “Nevarro is a wonderful planet.”

“I’m gonna stay and clean up what Imperial trash is left,” Cara said. “It’ll be like old times.” 

————————————————————

“Ad’ika.” 

Back on the Razor Crest, in the safety of space, Djarin held on to the kid as tight as he possibly could. Fear wasn’t a familiar feeling, but he was quickly becoming acquainted with it. Too many close calls. Too much loss. The kid babbled happily, not used to all of this attention from the Mandalorian. 

Djarin couldn’t stop thinking about what the armorer said. ‘You are as it’s father.’ He shuddered. 

“We fought like hell back there. So did you. I’m not going to let anything happen to you ever again.” The kid clapped his hands. He thought maybe the kid understood what he was saying, but then the child giggled. Djarin let out a deep sigh. 

He was still in enormous amounts of pain, the Bacta spray the droid had used must have been wearing off. The droid. IG-11 made the sacrifice play to get the rest of them out alive. He never thought he’d be so grateful to a droid. Yet here he was. Lost in thought, he didn’t realize how much blood he had ended up losing. He was so tired, but he didn’t know when he’d be able to sleep. Or how. He has nightmares as it is. This escapade would surely contribute to many more restless nights. Not to mention the fact that the threat wasn’t over and sense of dread was still there in the pit of his stomach, and probably always would be. He set the ship to autopilot, the only destination for now, being drifting in deep space. He leaned back in his seat and tried to steady his breathing. 

The child cooed at him, and climbed up to his shoulder. The necklace that the child was given glinted off of his helmet. The Mandalorian’s were all but extinct now, even more so than after the Purge. He was on his own. Except, that wasn’t quite right was it? The weight of responsibility hit him like a Mudhorn to the chest. He was a buir. They were a clan now. A clan of two. 

The child must have sensed his distress, or perhaps his pain, because the kid placed a three-fingered hand on the side of Din’s helmet and closed his eyes in concentration. 

Djarin felt the change in the atmosphere, and glanced over at his Ad’ika. As a deep sleep began to overtake him, despite fighting it, he watched as the child climbed back down to his lap and snuggled up to his side quietly babbling at the Mandalorian. Din moved his hand to secure the kid at his side. 

The kid used his powers to force Djarin to rest. He realized what his little Ad’ika has done, and he smiled. 

“Womp Rat.”

Then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this fic buir = father/dad/parent 
> 
> Well that’s a wrap for now folks! Thank you for all your kind comments and kudos. Season 2 of the Mandalorian is coming Fall 2020 and I’ll pick this fic back up again then!! In the meantime I do have another Mandalorian fanfic up which is a work in progress and will be updated again soon (hopefully before the New Year) Happy Holidays & New Year!
> 
> ~ Hannah


	8. The Armor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for Chapter 9: The Marshal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back everybody! I am so stoked for Season 2 and our favorite duo being on screen again. Thank you so much for sticking with this story if you're still here! If you're new, then thanks for tuning in! I'll be running this season just like last season. A chapter per episode, posted the day of or 1-2 days after the episode dropped. All chapters serve as "post-credit scenes" or Din and Ad'ika interacting off camera! Happy Halloween!

While eventful, Din’s trip to Tatooine left much to be desired, and gave him more questions than answers. He was no closer to finding his people than he was to finding Ad’ika’s kind, whether that be other Jedi, or whatever species he was.

Unfortunately, taking down the Krayt Dragon was a little more complicated than expected. Din loaded the speeder with his piece of the dragon, the stolen armor, and Ad’ika, and headed back to Mos Eisley, where Peli was keeping an eye on the Razor Crest.

Din knew, that when Peli caught sight of them, she would greet Bright Eyes, as she called him, warmly. She would go to make a snarky remark to the Mandalorian as usual but bust out laughing instead.

“You trying to look like the kid?” 

Din looked down at his cuirass, the wind from the speeder not doing much to keep the vile goop in one spot. The stomach of the Krayt Dragon had not been kind to his armor. Din sighed.

Din made a plan. Once on board the Crest, he would diligently polish his armor and weapons. The mystery Mandalorian armor that he had reclaimed was in desperate need of repairs as well. As soon as Din had the time and resources, he would do what he could for it. If he could find his covert, or any other Mandalorians, they would be able to help. Once he was satisfied with the work he could accomplish, he would make his way up to the cockpit, the pram following suit.

Finding Mandalorian armor on an outsider had thrown Din off. Who did it belong to? Not one from his covert, he was certain. Another dead end. He sighed. It was nice to see Peli Motto again. Friendly faces, or at least not hostile faces, in the galaxy were hard to come by. He thought of Cobb Vanth. He’s a useful ally, if push comes to shove. Din hope it doesn’t get to that. He will not be responsible for another friend’s death. The guilt of Kuiil’s passing was nearly suffocating.

The kid cooed, interrupting Din’s increasingly heavy thoughts.

Din angled his head back towards the child, who was in his sack at the back of the speeder.

“This was a dead end Ad’ika. Where do you think we should look next?”

Din thought of all the planets they had been to. He thought of all the planets that they haven’t been too. Ad’ika babbled a bunch of nonsense, then started pointing at the back of the speeder with urgency. Din waited with bated breath, thinking that maybe the kid saw something behind them. Just before Din could assess for a threat, he realized what Ad’ika was making grabby hands at: the Krayt Dragon meat. 

“You can have some later, kid.” The baby squealed in delight, and promptly chomped on his own hand, satiating his own hunger until he was allowed to eat. 

Din rolled his eyes, smiling slightly. He focused on the landscape ahead, the speeder nearing Mos Eisley. That was his Ad’ika alright.


	9. Nap Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for Chapter 10: The Passenger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DOMESTIC DIN AND BABY ARE MY SHITTTT OMG I LOVED THIS EPISODE.  
Okay okay now that I'm calm, this was the cutest episode I have ever seen in my life of any show ever, and I hope this little fluffy chapter adds to it. Petition for more baby running to dad for protection and comfort with his arms up after he's scared. See y'all back here next week!!!

“Sweet Dreams.”

But Din couldn’t sleep just yet.

Everything that could have possibly gone wrong, did. Din wasn’t safe anywhere, with anyone, except for his covert. Not only did he have to watch his back at every turn, for bounty hunters and imps alike, he found out that he was on the New Republic’s radar as well. As he settles into the pilot’s seat for a nap, Ad’ika bunkers down in his lap. The kid had eaten an outrageous amount of “food”, which usually makes him tired. Adding in the trauma of being blown off a speeder, held at knife-point, the Razor Crest crashing, almost being eaten by giant spiders, the frog lady nearly shooting the kid in the head, and being yelled at by Din twice (for good reason) the kid was especially clingy. Hoping that the remainder of this taxi service job would go smoothly, he closed his eyes. Ad’ika whimpered, and Din sighed. He brought his hand up to cup the child’s small back. 

“What am I going to do with you?”

The kid’s ears drooped, and he scrambled up to Din’s shoulder, cuddling up to his helmet. Sighing again, Din brought his arm up and lightly scratched Ad’ika’s ears, earning him a small coo. 

“I’m… sorry for yelling at you. But you need to listen to me,” Din said firmly.

He then looked at the kid out of the corner of his helmet and whispered quietly. 

“And no more eggs.” 

At that, the kid sat up straight, ears perked up. He turned back to look at the sleeping frog lady, and her container of eggs. His little tummy growled. 

Din laughed and pulled the child off of his shoulder, and placed him instead, into the crook of his arm. 

“You’re a menace, you know that?” 

The kid smiled, looking pleased with himself. Din slouched down a bit and held on to the child tightly. They both needed to rest, if today was any indication of how the rest of this side quest would go. 

“Nap time.”


	10. Identity Crisis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for Chapter 11: The Heiress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This episode was... rough. Very exciting!!! But rough.

Leaving Trask, Din had one goal in mind. Finding Ahsoka Tano. Unfortunately, it was going to be a long trip, and after his encounter with Bo-Katan Kryze… time to think was the last thing that he needed. Din headed to the fresher, and stared at himself- his helmet rather, in the mirror. 

A child of the Watch? As in Death Watch? He needed to speak with the Armorer immediately. He slowly lifted the helmet off of his head and took in his haggard appearance. His hair was dripping in ringlets, courtesy of almost drowning. The bags under his eyes were more pronounced than usual, not that he was surprised. 

What did it mean, that Mandalorian’s could take off their helmets? Why was he told different? What about the Creed? Is it all a lie? Did he spend the last thirty-something years of his life devoted to something that didn’t actually exist?

Din scoffed. Maybe Mandalorian’s honor was a myth. He had to find the Jedi. He would not raise Ad’ika under the guise of what very well may be a false Creed. 

Din was never particularly happy, or even liked himself, but now a dangerous amount of contempt- for himself, for Death Watch, for The Way, clouded his vision. In a momentary lapse of self-control, Din’s free hand smashed into the mirror, shards of glass sprinkling down to the floor. 

A frightened squeak snapped Din back into reality. Slamming the helmet back onto his head, he opened the door to see a concerned Ad’ika waiting at the door. Flexing the hand that had just shattered glass, he took a deep breath. Ad’ika tried to waddle into the fresher, to see why his father had felt so dark. 

Din stepped forward quickly, scooping up the baby, as to avoid the little one’s feet getting cut by the danger that Din had created. 

“No, Ad’ika. I don’t want you near the glass. You’ll get hurt.”

Ad’ika scrunched up his forehead while looking at Din the whole way up to the cockpit. He didn’t know why, but he could tell his father was angry, confused, and sad.

“We’re going to find your people, the Jedi.”

Din placed Ad’ika in the co-pilots seat and resumed monitoring the flight path of the Razor Crest. Ad’ika hopped down from his spot and climbed into Din’s lap. Facing his father, Ad’ika cocked his head at Din questioningly. 

“What?” Din asked. He sounded tired. 

Ad’ika shuffled closer to Din and spread his arms out across Din’s stomach. Din looked down at the kid, who was giving him what he could only assume was a hug. It did little to lighten Din’s spirits. Din hesitantly brought a hand to the kid’s back, returning the comforting gesture. The kid cooed happily.

“I… think I’m going to miss you, kid.”


	11. Bath Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for Episode 12: The Siege

While Din had done his best to clean off the sickeningly blue spit up off of Ad’ika’s clothing while flying, the kid wasn’t quite finished. Din’s fancy flying had left the kid’s stomach reeling, not that he could blame him. Once safely in hyperspace, with the course set to find Ahsoka Tano, Din swiveled to look at Ad’ika. More blue was splattered across the kid’s front and was dripping off of his chin. 

Din tried to mute his grunt of disgust. Ad’ika tilted his head curiously at Din, and promptly shoved another cookie in his mouth. Din rolled his eyes and plucked the package of snacks out of Ad’ika’s hands.

“Where did you even get these from?” 

The kid giggled in response. Din sighed. It’s all fun and games until he tells Ad’ika the two words the little womp rat dreads most. 

“Alright, it’s bath time.”

The kid’s giggles ceased immediately, and he squealed in protest. It was comical, or would’ve been more funny, if Din wasn’t so concerned about his unexpected learning that Moff Gideon was alive and well. Din picked up the child by the scruff of his robe and brought him to the fresher.

Fortunately, since getting the ship repaired, the mirror in the fresher was also replaced. All physical evidence of Din’s brief identity crisis was gone. Din removed the well-worn robe from the child and placed it in the sink. While he was in the business of washing clothing, he also decided to remove his cape. He’d wash the abused corner of his cape after he cleans the child and puts him down for a nap. 

The kid was pouting in the back corner of the fresher, mad at Din for his lack of cookies and mad about his bath. Getting the kid clean was a struggle, but eventually Din was able to wrap him in small blankets and place him in the pilot’s seat. 

Din went back to the fresher to lay out Ad’ika’s robe to dry. Alone time meant more time to think. The hunt for the child was still on. Hopefully this Ahsoka character would be able to protect the kid better than Din can. Soon, this wouldn’t be Din’s problem anymore. A different kind of dread came over him. Shaking it off, he cleaned his cape and placed it with Ad’ika’s clothes. 

He went to check on the child, who was snoring softly. Din looked at the kid affectionately, and decided that if he hurried, he could shower before the kid woke up. Who knows when, or if he’d have another opportunity. In the meantime, he planned to take a few minutes for himself and enjoy his own bath time while he and the kid weren’t in immediate danger. He had a very bad feeling about the days ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DAD DIN DAD DIN DAD DIN


	12. Proper Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for Chapter 13: The Jedi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!! This update is late (I apologize) but college and work have been kicking my rear and my creative juices were not flowing or vibing. Alas, it is here and this upcoming chapter will be posted within the usual scheduled time frame!! Thank you to all who are still sticking with this! Your kudos and comments mean the world <3   
~ Hannah

Din was being sent on yet another wild goose chase to find someone, anyone, who would be willing to train the child. Ahsoka turned out to not be much help. Well, in terms of training Ad’ika she was no help. She could communicate with the kid just fine, and she gave him the pure Beskar staff, even though he didn’t earn it. 

The kid’s backstory, according to Ahsoka was just as tragic, if not more so than Din’s. Maybe there was a reason that he and Ad’ika connected so easily back on Arvala-7. He looked at the sleeping child in his lap. 

The kid had more power than Din knew he could possess. Explains why the Empire is after him. Ahsoka said that the kid had been trained, but as time passed, the kid hid his true capabilities to protect himself from others. Din thought of his helmet, his Creed, which had served him well and hidden him from the world too. 

As if Din were thinking too loud, the sleeping bundle in his lap stirred. Din stood up and placed Ad’ika on the seat. He wanted to… try something. Ad’ika whined from loss of contact but sat up and rubbed his eyes. Din popped the small knob off of the lever on the control panels and held it up in front of the child.

“Grogu,” Din’s voice lilted. “Take your toy.”

The kid’s ears perked up and he made a small “gu” sound. With very little hesitation, he raised his hand and took the knob from Din’s grasp. Once it floated over, the kid promptly shoved the knob in his mouth. Din exhaled in amusement. 

“Ad’ika,” Din’s voice lilted once again. He held out his hand palm facing up. “Send it back.”

The kid’s ears perked again, and he reluctantly floated the toy back to Din. 

“Interesting.” 

Din had figured that once he knew that the kid’s name was Grogu, that would be the only thing he responded to. Then again, Din had two names too right? 

Mando, for in public and Din for an extremely select group which currently consisted of himself and the child. Not that the kid could speak. As if Mando and Ad’ika, or Din and Grogu weren’t two peas in a pod enough already, Din decided that for now, only Ahsoka and himself would get to call Grogu by his actual name. 

The last thing Din needs is for Gideon to find out Ad’ika’s real name. The kid may be fifty years old, but he wouldn’t put it past Grogu to mistake anyone that knows his name as a friend. Din gave the toy back to Grogu and knelt down on one knee, so he was visor-to-eye level. It was more than past time for a proper introduction.

“Hey Grogu,” he took a deep breath. He hadn’t said it out loud like this in a very long time. 

“My name is Din.”


	13. Nothing To Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for Chapter 14: The Tragedy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late again :/ that work and school combo is horrible for my writing schedule. Anyway, enjoy this chapter and I added a little something new

Din hadn’t spoken, hadn’t eaten, hadn’t slept since he got back to the Slave I after his visit with Cara. Boba Fett and Fennec Shand shared a glance.

“We will get him back,” Boba Fett said reassuringly. 

“It won’t be hard to track him down,” Fennec said. “We have three bounty hunters onboard, and didn’t your Marshal friend arrange for us to spring an ex-Imp?" Cara ran up to the ship before they took off. "I'm coming with. We'll get Mayfeld, and we’ll get your kid back.”

Din inclined his helmet in acknowledgement. He had promised Grogu that he would protect him. In fact, it was the last thing he said to his son before the Dark Troopers had flown off with him. This was a failure that Din wasn’t sure he’d ever come back from. 

The only thing that could possibly outweigh his disdain for himself, and his concern for his Ad’ika, is his hatred of Moff Gideon. The next time he sees him, it would take the entire Empire to restrain Din from ripping him limb from limb. 

They were on their way to grab Mayfeld now. Din had the Beskar spear clutched tightly in one hand, and in the other, he rolled the small knob in between his thumb and his forefinger. 

The only two items that survived the explosion of the Razor Crest. Din’s blood boiled at the thought of what served as his home for the past decades being obliterated beyond repair. 

There was nothing for him to do now but wait and try not to think about what could be happening to Grogu right now.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grogu woke up confused, with small cuffs on his little hands. He was in a room by himself, but all he could feel was a bad energy around him. Blinking to try and reorient himself, he thought of his Buir. 

Panicking, he looked around and tried to feel to see if his Buir was onboard. When he couldn’t sense him, he whined and tried to reach out to Din. Let the Mandalorian know where he was so his Buir could come in and rescue him like always. 

Hardly a moment after he tried to reach out and contact Din from across the galaxy, the door abruptly slid open. Grogu tilted his head, surprised that his Buir found him so fast. Unfortunately, Grogu recognized that the figure in the doorway was Moff Gideon. His ears drooped and he whimpered. 

There was nothing for him to do now but wait and try to hold out until his Buir came to save him.


	14. Whatever It Takes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for Episode 15: The Believer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> H O L Y S H I T   
Also I reallyyyyy like Mayfeld in this episode??? They did a great job with redeeming his character.   
Also HELMETLESS DIN & HIS USE OF MOFF GIDEON'S MONOLOGUE whewwwwww

_“Seems to me like your rules start to change when you get desperate. You said you couldn’t take your helmet off, and now you got a stormtrooper one on, so what’s the rule? Is it that you can’t take off your Mando helmet, or you can’t show your face? Cause there is a difference. We’re all the same. Everybody’s got their lines they don’t cross until things get messy.” _

Mayfeld’s surprisingly insightful comments were endlessly running through Din’s head. Din would like to think, that in order to save his son’s life, he would rip off the helmet with no hesitation. Mandalorian Creed be damned.

However, he recalls the first time Grogu was almost taken from him. Back on Nevarro, he was willing to die before removing his helmet. Had IG-11 not been there, he would’ve sent Grogu to an abandoned covert. So where did things change?

Bo-Katan and the other Mandalorian’s taking off their helmets, and telling him that he followed a false branch of Mandalorian’s? Ahsoka telling him that Grogu was attached to him, and that she would be unable to train him? Maybe Boba Fett being armorless for a number of years, and putting the Beskar back on, without protest from Din was the last straw.

Din broke the Creed. There was no denying that. But he still put the helmet back on. He still wears the Beskar armor. Maybe there’s more to being a Mandalorian than following a Creed that reinforces “secrecy is survival.”

The one thing that has outweighed the Creed, is Din’s Mandalorian honor. He promised to keep his Ad’ika safe, and he failed. Until he rectifies that, he’s not much of a Mandalorian at all, helmet on or not.

“Fett, I need to send a message.”

Cara and Fennec stepped aside, curious as Boba Fett started the holoprojector.

“Moff Gideon. You have something I want. You may think you have some idea of what you are in possession of, but you do not. Soon he will be back with me. He means more to me than you will **_ever_** know.”

Cara put a hand over her mouth, remembering Gideon saying virtually the exact same thing, back on Nevarro. The Mandalorian’s was much more venomous. Cara knew Mando, and even she was a little scared of him right now.

One thing was undeniable, and everyone on the Slave I knew it. Din was going to get his son back. Whatever it takes.


End file.
